Traveler Review: Smooth sailing in Costa Rica

Testimonial of the Week: Smooth sailing in Costa Rica

A view from Robert’s hotel in Monteverde, Costa Rica
Photo courtesy of Robert C.

It’s that time of the week– time to share our travelers’ testimonials. This is probably our favorite day of the week because we love to share stories of journeys from around our Latin America for Less destinations. In this Testimonial of the Week, Robert C. and his family ventured to Costa Rica, a land of diverse terrain and wildlife. His family had an amazing time and they were very happy with our service. But don’t just take our word for it, read what Robert had to say about their trip in his own words.

Robert C. and family in Costa Rica

We had an excellent family trip to Costa Rica. I can’t think of one thing that didn’t go smoothly. Every transfer was on time. Every tour was on time. The drivers were friendly and knowledgeable.

Carlos with Eclipse Tours was our driver for 3 of the long 3-hour trips. We looked forward to seeing him each time. He gave us information about the areas we traveled and also made stops for us when we needed a break. The tour guides were excited about their jobs, friendly, knowledgeable, and spoke very good English.

The hotels were all very nice. The Lost Iguana was excellent. We had an unbelievable view of Arenal Volcano from our room. We enjoyed the peacefulness of the rainy season/off season. It felt like we had the hotel pool/bar area all to ourselves a few times.

We were lucky enough to see howler monkeys while on the Arenal hike. We also saw a number of birds and two-toed sloths. The trip to Monteverde was beautiful. We did a couple of add-on trips here – we went to a coffee plantation tour, which was very nice.

Robert and his family near Arenal Volcano.
Photo courtesy of Robert C.

We also went on a night hike where we saw a two-toed sloth and a coati in trees, and a tarantula in a hole in the ground. The highlight of the planned trip to the Cloud Forest was the zip-lining. We are all really glad that we decided to do it. The last line (I think it was the longest and highest) was very exciting. WooHoo!

On our transfer to Manuel Antonio, Carlos stopped at a rest stop where they had cold coconuts for sale that they cut open so we could have a nice coconut water drink on that hot and humid day. Very refreshing.

Upon arriving at La Mansion in Manuel Antonio, we were thrilled again by the view. I spent the first half hour taking pictures of the beautiful view of Manuel Antonio Park jutting out into the Pacific Ocean. We spent a bit of time just hanging out on the deck of the rooms admiring the wonderful views. We enjoyed the Park tour with some animals we hadn’t seen before such as a viper in a tree, a red-eyed tree frog, and some three-toed sloths.

The second day, four of us hung out by the pool and enjoyed a nice down day while Cate went on a catamaran trip. She reported that they saw a mother and baby humpback whale while sailing.

The food at all hotels and restaurants that we ate at was very good. Very good seafood, soups, salads, and beef. Even wood-fired pizza! None of us had any stomach issues throughout the trip. I could go into more detail, but that should be enough. Thank you for taking the time to set up everything to make the trip go so smoothly.

About Author

Peru for Less is a group of travel experts who live, work, eat, and breathe all things South America. Their inspiration stems from a deep appreciation for the beauty and diversity that make this continent so special.